Ongoing: WOT First Reads: THE PATH OF DAGGERS

Oh Dear.

…and I finally fell into the doldrums pit of The Wheel Of Time series.

The 8th book, THE PATH OF DAGGERS was the magic number apparently. I am grateful it didn’t happen sooner as a lot of people seem to think things go astray in the 7th book (A CROWN OF SWORDS)…but I liked that one so I was good till number 8.

I tried my best. I really truly gave this one everything I had. I read the first 140 odd pages and all that had transpired was the supergirls (Nynaeve, Elayne and Aviendha) FINALLY used the ter’angreal The Bowl Of The Winds. Aside from some long boring discussions, sniffing, braid tugging, self-molification by Aviendha, and crooked looks between Aes Sedai and Sea-folk that was IT! Oh man, I couldn’t believe how long Jordan could draw it that out. It would be impressive, if it weren’t so damned frustrating. That said, after that sequence, Elayne nearly undoes everyone when the Seanchan attack…but even that didn’t save it for me.

Sigh. It was at this point I attempted the audio book version of TPOD. I figured that LISTENING to the boredom would be better than reading about it. And I was wrong. Boo. The two narrators (a hubby and wife team who shall remain nameless) are both so bad at their job that I wanted to throw my iPod across the room and hoped it embedded in the wall with enough force as to shake the foundations.

Grr. Arg. *HEADDESK* *FACEPALM*

Okay, then I had a bit of advice from a WOT fangirl over at the Malazan boards, who said that the second half things pick up a bit and I ought to give it a chance. So I went back to reading it.

Thankfully the second half IS better. It’s not great, and by no stretch of the imagination did I love it…but I was entertained. I’ll give it that. The second half gets into some interesting things, but overall the problem lies in the fact that for a book that is damned near 1000 pages, the overall plot is driven forth only about 200 pages worth. It definitely set the stage for the next book, but I started to wonder if I wasn’t in for another round of boredom with that one as well.

I want to make sure you guys know I am still a BIG WOT fan. The first seven books are pretty damn fine all told, and though 8 stumbles I am not disenchanted at all.

I am past the 87-page prologue of the 9th book WINTERS HEART now, and I am happy to report that this one doesn’t seem to have as much of the boredom as the previous one and I am once again enjoying this series. So worry not WOT fans!

Also, I see light at the end of the tunnel as I hope to finish up the 10th and 11th books by years end with preparations to make January the month to read the two most recent entries in the series.

Upcoming: A Game Of Thrones New Teaser Trailer

Oh my god. My head just exploded from the awesome!!!

Sweet merciful crap I want to watch this NOW! Looks like HBO have outdone themselves!

Enjoy!

Upcoming: HBO A Game Of Thrones- Behind The Scenes Promo

I thieved this from over at Wertzone, but I needed to post it too.

A little bit of dialogue. More shots of sets. This 15-minute behinds the scenes look will air next Sunday. Consider me UBER-excited!

Inside Game of Thrones Preview

Movie Review: Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part I

The best thing about the HARRY POTTER series of films?

The fact that I (and others apparently) feel that each successive film gets better and better. That’s funny because USUALLY in a film series, the sequel (s) drop in quality (there are a few exceptions of course) leaving fans feeling a bit disappointed. Warner Brothers  HARRY POTTER does the exact opposite, with each successive film garnering more critical praise and making heavy bank at the box office. 

HARRY POTTER & THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART I is no slouch in that department, and once again I have to echo others. This is hands down, the BEST HARRY POTTER film. EVER. No seriously, I can even say that knowing that I’ve yet to see the final part (I’ve read the book though so I know the outcome), because if the second part continues on like the first part did we are all in for a VERY big treat come next summer. 

The first thing to notice here is how comfortable director David Yates is in this world with the two previous films under his belt.  It really does feel as if the man who was handed the reins for the last 3 book-film conversions was the very perfect choice. He has a style and a grace in his direction that feels as perfectly adult as it needs to be without losing the fact that this is the last chapter in a young adult series. That said, you can also credit Steve Kloves screenplay for the flow here as well. Kloves characters act as real teens would in this situation, but it never feels overwrought or corny (like another YA series that shall remain nameless). That was nice to see. The dialogue is spot on and presents a tension that would ever be present in a world that had gone this far into domination by evil. These are dark times indeed and from minute one you get that.  The film opens with the muggles running for the hills or scared of what is happening....and the three main characters go through their scenes and no one says a word for the first like 5 minutes. It’s ominous and telling and affected me as such. Then Hermione says one word (a spell) “Obliviate” and in that one world she sets the opening like no one else could. I was dazzled by that. Then from that we go right into the scene that takes place with the assembled Death Eaters at the Malfoy mansion, and we see the real cruelty of Voldemort and his minions for the first time, and it is unflinchingly brutal. After the opening with the protagonists and then this scene with Voldemort  I knew I was in for a real treat. Yates was not going to pull punches. He was going to tell this story as it needed to be told and I for one am impressed on a level that I can’t even properly explain.

The performances here are aces across the board. There is a host of old characters that have come back, like John Hurt’s Wand-seller Ollivander, Brendan Gleeson’s Mad-Eye Moody, Imelda Staunton’s Dolores Umbridge and Timothy Spall’s Wormtail, and all hand in great performances. The standouts though are David Thewlis’s Remus Lupin who at this point in the story is about as paranoid and stretched to the very edges as he is one of the only ones who has lived through this terror once before and Thewlis is amazing, and then there is the return of Jason Issac’s Lucius Malfoy and my god he’s good. At this point in the story Malfoy has been through the ringer for his dark lord and it doesn’t get better as Voldemort feels he has failed him to many times. It shows throughout as well, Malfoy is haggard, unshaven with dark circles ringing his eyes and there is a fear below the surface of his skin that is so evident that I begin to feel for his character. Imagine you served a dark lord, and he was upset with you but hadn’t done away with you...what would that do to scar your psyche, let alone those around you. Issac’s is one of the best performances of the lot for me. A new character, Luna Lovegood’s father Xenophilius Lovegood is played with incredible deftness by Welsh actor Rhys Ifans and for his scenes at his house he is pitch perfect and exactly what he is supposed to be with every drop of dialogue delivered. The same I can say for Bill Nighy’s portrayal of lion-maned new Minister For Magic Rufus Scrimgeour as he oozes the blind defensiveness of the character that Fudge was missing previously. 

The story in HARRY POTTER & THE DEATHLY HALLOWS is one of despair. We are literally driving the good guys to the edge of their sanity. The Dark Lord is gaining in power and dominion, his 3 Horcruxes which prevent him being killed entirely are still unfound, the one they do have (Slytherin’s Locket) is having a foul effect on anyone who keeps it close causing problems for Harry, Hermione and Ron, and it can’t be destroyed by conventional means. On top of that we have taken away all the help Harry used to have (Dumbledore, Sirius) and even those he COULD have are in serious danger of being killed or maimed and so he doesn’t want them around. Basically, Harry has to snap. He has to reach a point where his survival is no longer paramount. He has to reach a point where he metaphorically throws down his gauntlets in front of Voldemort and screams “No! Enough is enough. Countless innocents have died. You and I, we’re doing this and I don’t care if I come out of this alive, but I promise you....you’ll be dead.” And What is wonderful here is that you can see that on the horizon, and it’s worth the applause in spades.

My final note on this fantastic film is that there is an animated sequence within it where Hermione tells the story of the Three Brothers from the fairytale book The Tales Of Beedle The Bard. That animation sequence is bloody unbelievably GORGEOUS. It has an aspect to it like 2-D tune shaded stuff that we saw in the opening of Hellboy 2 and I loved it. The other thing about it is that it wholeheartedly works at the point it appears in the story and I can think of no better way to have told the story of the Three Brothers.

This film is everything you heard it was. It is the overture to the final hurrah of Warner Brother’s juggernaut that is the HP series and I for one cannot wait for the final bit which will bow next summer. You will be doing yourself a disservice if you don’t get out and see this film over the holiday period. Probably the best thing I’ve seen all year aside from INCEPTION. 

Just incredible.

Comic book reviews for the week of November 24th in six sentences (or less)

Best of the Week

Walking Dead #79
Maybe this is the Best of the Week because I’m still riding the high I get from watching this series come to life on my television. Whatever the reason, it was the first thing I popped open when I got back from Ye Olde LCS and I don’t regret it for a second. In this issue the community is still putting trying to put their lives back together after a pathetically failed invasion attempt by another group of survivors. The gunplay from the run-in has attracted a herd of zombies who, unbeknownst to the group, are slowly converging on the neighbourhood. Robert Kirkman mixes up the normally mono-track story telling with a little split screen parallel plotting. It’s a nice change of pace and not normally something we see in this book. Charlie Adlard continues to kill when it comes to pencils. And that’s all she wrote.

Action Comics #895
The first of two entries for writer Paul Cornell this week. Vandal Savage has built an entire city overtop of two Black Lantern energy remnants from THE BLACKEST NIGHT in order to protect them from Lex Luthor. Of course, being Vandal Savage, he has the opportunity to do this hundreds of years before Lex is born and before he knows who he even is. This title continues to be an interesting character examination of one of DC’s premiere super-villains. The character is Lex hardly two dimensional, but after decades of stories on the man I thought there were very few takes on him that hadn’t been previously explored. I’m really enjoying Cornell’s exploration of Lex. He’s muted some of Lex’s cartoony, traditional Super-foil aspects and instead given depth and nuance to a character who is usually immune to both.

Batman and Robin #17
Say what you will about Scott McDaniel, but the guy manages to draw a dynamic, energetic story on a deadline and he makes it look good. I’m convinced that McDaniel doesn’t get the respect he deserves and too often he seems to be the go-to fill artist whenever DC needs to turn something around quickly. Paul Cornell takes the opportunity to do a little world building in the lives of Dick-bats and Robin, putting them on their first proper case unrelated to the events of RIP, FINAL CRISIS and THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE. In this story Dick and Damien are tasked with solving the murder of a casual ex-girlfriend of Bruce. While tracking the killer, why seems to suffer from a very Batman villain like compulsion to leave revealing clues, they stumble across a wedding gone horribly awry. It’s a fun, light read and a good counterpoint to the perpetual Bats-event comic we’ve all been reading for the past 5 years.

Batman: Odyssey #5
Another inscrutable Neal Adams Batman story. At the behest of Deadman Batman begins to investigate sinister goings on at Arkham Asylum. And that’s the best that I can do at crafting a one sentence summary for this title.

I’m still not convinced that there weren’t pages missing from this comic. Seriously, a reader shouldn’t have to work this hard to follow the basic narrative of this story. I had to reread several section of this issue and I’m not 100% sure I know what going on. The storytelling is sloppy and unfocused. And the art, while pretty, sometimes fails to illustrate crucial aspects of what’s happening in a scene. There was one section involving a conversation between Batman and a Deadman-possessed Joker that still has me scratching my head. When your artist and your writer are the same person there’s no excuse for crafting a tale this impenetrable.

Green Arrow #6
There’s something happening in this title that I can’t recall ever happening in a modern Green Arrow story, world building. I’m not just talking about creating new characters and fleshing out someone’s stable of villains. I’m talking about simple things, like creating easily defined visual geographic landmarks, like the unoriginally named Sherwood Forest or the iconic Queen Industries office tower (which is treated by the inhabitants of Star City like its been around YEARS, but I’ve sure as shit never seen it before). Even something simple like giving a GA a typical superhero symbol, a stylized ‘G’ belt buckle in the shape of an arrowhead. It’s all superhero world building 101 and some of DC’s most prominent characters have used it to great effect, sporting landscapes that are nearly as recognizable as they are. More importantly, GA has never, if ever, had these tools in his arsenal. Green is not a trademark, it’s a colour scheme and while it may help to inform his identity visually it lacks the simplistic touchstones we as audience need when identifying the good guys.

They only problem is that seminal characters like Superman and Batman have had years to build up these trademarks. Green Arrow titles seem to get re-booted on a semi-annual basis and each new direction is perpendicular to the one that preceded it.

Ultimate Spider-man #150
With this issue Spider-man goes back to his new/old title and numbering. It’s a fairly standard anniversary style issue, complete with the requisite new direction for the character that is often touted during these kinds of milestones. Various characters ruminate on their first meeting with Spider-man and reflect on his nature and character. Peter reflects on the true nature of what it means to be a hero. It’s all pretty standard stuff, but it’s well done so I’m not going to complain. It was nice to see a couple pages from Mark Bagley in this issue, especially considering I thought he was still exclusive to DC. For the longest time Bags take on Ultimate Spidey was so synonymous with the character it was hard to imagine anyone else drawing him and I thought it was really classy of DC to let him do these pages. (If in fact he’s still exclusive)

I’m also not going to get into the changes the Ultimate Universe has been through lately. I’ve seen that analysed in greater depth and with more intelligence then I can offer. Bottom line, in recent years the bloom has definitely come off the rose. The Ultimate line used to be synonymous with fresh takes on classic Marvel characters, unencumbered by the stifling shackles of continuity. Only after ten years it’s inevitable that the Ultimate Universe’s own continuity and publishing mis-steps have robbed the imprint of a lot of its vitality. Only Spider-man seems to have bucked this trend. Given the drop off in numbers for the Ultimate titles I have to wonder how long Marvel will choose to keep this imprint going. I think, if anything, the Ultimate Universe was a victim of its own success, with its greatest ideas and triumphs co-opted by the regular Marvel 616. Either way, whatever its fate, it was an interesting undertaking and one that I think helped revitalize the Marvel U.

Cover Art: Late Eclipses by Seanan McGuire

While I have not yet read Seanan McGuire's October Daye series, I am significantly intrigued by the premise of them...and I keep seeing the gorgeous McGrath covers in the bookstore....

They are about a mortal halfbreed between the world of humans and Faerie, who seems to have problems belonging in either world. Yup, sounds cool to me. I am suprisingly picky about my urban fantasy, and out of all the ones I have tried, the only ones I think can do the job so far are Jim Butcher, Patricia Briggs and Mike Carey, and I'll give points to Kim Harrison even though she get's a tad on the romantic side for my taste. It's time I add another urban fantasy author to the list....we'll see how she does.

The first three books are: ROSEMARY & RUE, A LOCAL HABITATION, and AN ARTIFICIAL NIGHT .

Anyways, the cover of the fourth book in the series is now online. Have a gander below! Chris McGrath is totally one of my fave fantasy cover artists (he does the ones for Butcher's Dresden Files amongst others)

I am seriously considering picking up the first book in this series as I think I am due for some urban fantasy in December maybe.

Original Art Mondays - Superboy

The 90s have a lot to answer for, least of all the damage they did to my funny books. But one of the few things that decade managed to do right was put Tom Grummett on the Super-pages. Grummett might not be flashy and overly stylish, but he knows how to lay out a page and construct a scene in a straightforward easily followed manner. I have nothing but praise for the man.

Here's a purdy Superboy picture from 2009

Book Review: The Emerald Storm by Michael J. Sullivan

 A MESSAGE IS INTERCEPTED. A SINISTER PLAN LAUNCHED. TWO THIEVES STAND IN THE WAY.
Ex-mercenary Hadrian Blackwater sets course on a high seas adventure to find the lost Heir of Novron. His only hope lies in confronting the ruthless and cunning Merrick Marius. Fearing his friend is not up to the challenge, Royce Melborn joins his old partner for one last mission. Their journey finds them adrift amid treachery and betrayals forcing Hadrian to face a past he hoped never to see again. 


When I sit down and open a Ryria Revelations book, I am assured of three things.

1.       I should set aside a number of hours free, as I likely won’t stop reading till I am done.

2.       There will be more twists, turns, betrayals and heroics than should be legal in one book.

3.       That I will certainly be whisked away on another rollicking adventure with the two best thieves around.

I am happy to report that all three are once again true of Michael J. Sullivan’s 4^th book in the series THE EMERALD STORM!

This one threw a different spin on things because most of it is set at sea, and funnily enough that is something that I normally am very leery about due to the close quarters storytelling. Here, it works easily! Sullivan is well aware that his two protagonists are fish-out-of-water and instead of trying to make them come across as picking up the whole sailor thing and learning it, he keeps them true to who they are. This makes for a number of funny scenes during which a shipmate will tell them the direction they are headed in seaman lingo “weathering round the point” or the like and when Hadrian or Royce look at them cockeyed they have to say it again in layman terms “go left and then head east”. It was refreshing to see that the two are still the two thieves we met books ago and there is no compromising them. Royce though in particular is growing, as Hadrian’s justice-style influence on him continues to temper him, which is nice to see. There is a particularly telling moment when a young midshipman sticks to honour-bound codes when presented with the easy road or the hard road choice and when he makes the hard road decision even I as the reader was impressed. Royce witnesses this exchange and is as suitably impressed, which to me shows a subtle change of character that we are starting to see more and more in the dark Melborn.

The ship setting is not the only one though, as we get to see not only the Dwarf made city of Drumindor which is fairly stunningly realized, but also the jungle coasts of far-flung Calis and the fabled people who live in the dark reaches therein, not to mention bloodthirsty pirates who are as relentless as they come. The secondary characters of the voyage there are all so interesting because you never can tell fully where anyone’s loyalties lay, and that kept things on this knife edge of worry even as Ryria have to continue their mission. 

The second plot-thread takes place at home with Princess Arista, who keeps becoming more and more a fave character of mine with every book she’s in, she grows and grows into something unbelievably heroic in her own way. Her story weaves back through a spot of interest from a few books ago with such incredible emotion that I actually got choked up a few times. Arista just amazes me. Empress Modina/Thrace is once again starting to return to the girl we knew prior to the events of Avempartha, even though she is still haunted by them. It’s nice to see that, and add Amilia into that mix who is honestly trying to do right by her, but not knowing the whole story and you have the makings of a different kind of powderkeg. It is also quite certain that the Imperial plots are indeed thickening.

Sullivan does something else here that was subtle and snuck up on me at the end. It is clear that in the end of this book he begins to set the pieces in place for the finale two books down the road. In the final chapters you can see where our heroes will inevitably be lead as they return to a homeland rife with political strife and division. That was nice to see those pieces start to come together. I can see the mysteries want to be solved, but Sullivan continues to surprise me with revelations about characters and ideas that I didn’t see coming a mile away, or that I thought I'd figured out and wasn't even close. Haha!

You want adventure on the high seas? Check. Heroics by a Princess? Check. Jungle awesomeness with a dark and strange people? Check. Brave and stalwart soldiers? Check. Dastardly villains get even meaner and nastier? Check. THE EMERALD STORM is everything that makes this series worthy of my time, and adds even more dimensions to an already multilayered story. Another cracker that I read in one day. It’s hard to not do so. I find myself reading these books voraciously just so I can get to the next one.

Thankfully, I have a signed copy of the 5^th book WINTERTIDE ready to go. 

If you haven’t picked up this series yet, you really should as it’s everything you heard it is and more!

Crash Course: Doctor Who

Sarah, book blogger extraordinaire from Bookworm Blues had mentioned she didn't know who DOCTOR WHO was, and thought she might need a crash course. Since it is Saturday and because the blog remains mostly silent on the weekends (and let's be honest, because I love talking about the Doctor) I thought to make a post obliging. That said, this could be a crash course for anyone who doesn't know of the show.

Crash course. Okay. Here goes. Big breath....

Doctor Who is a BBC program that started back in 1963 as a black and white program about a man called "The Doctor" who has a blue police phone-box that travels in time and space. He is actually a timelord from the planet Gallifrey, and spends his time saving people and planets from evil and spends a lot of time defending earth.

The Doctor has the power (when his life is MORTALLY threatened) and he can't escape his body dying, to "regenerate" and he will take on a completely new body, but he is TECHNICALLY still the same person. This is how they have accounted for replacing the lead role of The Doctor over the years. Up till the current incarnation there have been 11 actors who have played him since 1963.

Back after the 7th Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) finished his run, the show went off the air (that was in the late 80's), and stayed that way for a time. In the mid-90's there was a bastardized American Made-For-TV movie which kind of flopped and is to this day the ONLY appearance of Paul McGann as the 8th Doctor.

In 2005, Russel T. Davies petitioned the BBC to allow him to resurrect the property, and with the help of 9th Doctor Christopher Eccelstone the show returned to the air in a new form and was a bit of a hit....after one season Eccelstone left the role and up stepped David Tennant to play the 10th incarnation along with companion Rose Tyler (Billie Piper)..and that was when the show went from hit to friggin bananas crazy awesome, and was such a ratings winner that it became (and remains) the flagship show for BBC1.

Tennant spent 4 years in the role. Three full seasons and then a season of specials, he pulled at heart strings I didn't know I had, dealt with evil baddies old and new, but most of all renewed my love with a show that I watched every Saturday when I was a kid and had almost thought was gone forever.
After 4 seasons and a year of specials the show passed from Russel T. Davies hands into writer Steven Moffat's (Coupling, Press Gang) who wrote a fair number of Hugo-winning episodes of Davies-Era Doctor Who (Blink, The Girl in the Fireplace, Silence in the Library & Forest Of The Dead). When Moffat took over he cast young actor Matt Smith in the role of the titular character and no matter what regeneration jitters we all went through, I had faith. Smith has blown everyone away with his quirky, mad scientist-ish portrayal of the Doctor, but hasn't lost any of that telltale British charm in the process. The 5th Series was one of the best and it's overall plot arc was pretty outstanding.

So, that catches you all up. We await Christmas Day and the Christmas special, and then the spring when the 6th Series will begin with episodes telling us the whole truth of who River Song is, not to mention an episode penned by Neil Gaiman. Should be plenty of fun.

Now, you may seem daunted, but you don't have to watch 32 seasons of it. If you start with the re-launched show that started in 2005 (it's called Series 1 on DVD) and then watch the first 5 seasons that will catch you up. British season mind you...so only 12 or 13 episodes a piece (and the year of specials there was only 6).

In the interest of eduction, here are some clips that will help set the stage for what to expect:

Note: Watching all these teasers won't spoil anything for you so don't worry, you can watch them, they will give you a feel of how the show progressed. The first season (kind of like Buffy) had a lower budget and it kind of shows, but once the show took off, second season onward the effects, and everything else ramps WAY up!

Enjoy!

Series 1


Series 2


Series 3


Series 4


The Specials


Series 5

Book Review: Star Wars Fate Of The Jedi: Omen by Christie Golden

 The Jedi Order is in crisis. The late Jacen Solo’s shocking transformation into murderous Sith Lord Darth Caedus has cast a damning pall over those who wield the Force for good: Two Jedi Knights have succumbed to an inexplicable and dangerous psychosis, criminal charges have driven Luke Skywalker into self-imposed exile, and power-hungry Chief of State Natasi Daala is exploiting anti-Jedi sentiment to undermine the Order’s influence within the Galactic Alliance.

Forbidden to intervene in Jedi affairs, Luke is on a desperate mission to uncover the truth behind Jacen’s fall to the dark side–and to learn what’s turning peaceful Jedi into raving lunatics. But finding answers will mean venturing into the mind-bending space of the Kathol Rift and bargaining with an alien species as likely to destroy outsiders as deal with them. Still, there is no other choice and no time to lose, as the catastrophic events on Coruscant continue to escalate. Stricken by the same violent dementia that infected her brother, Valin, Jedi Knight Jysella Horn faces an equally grim fate after her capture by Natasi Daala’s police. And when Han and Leia Solo narrowly foil another deranged Jedi bent on deadly destruction, even acting Jedi Grand Master Kenth Hamner appears willing to bow to Daala’s iron will–at the expense of the Jedi Order.

But an even greater threat is looming. Millennia in the past, a Sith starship crashed on an unknown low-tech planet, leaving the survivors stranded. Over the generations, their numbers have grown, the ways of the dark side have been nurtured, and the time is fast approaching when this lost tribe of Sith will once more take to the stars to reclaim their legendary destiny as rulers of the galaxy. Only one thing stands in their way, a name whispered to them through the Force: Skywalker.

Christie Golden’s first entry into the Star Wars Expanded Universe is a pretty solid little entry. Star Wars FATE OF THE JEDI: OMEN is all the things it needs to be to excite, enthral and drive the story forward.  Golden’s writing skill is very present as the chapters are well assembled, and the various threads running through the books are woven cleanly, making the pace just as fast as Allston’s OUTCAST. Golden was a deft hand handling the new Tribe Sith characters as well, mainly 14 & 16 year-old Vestara Khai, as she was the first to really mention them and bring some into this story. She does it well, and what was really interesting is how she was able to make these Sith (a tribe that has existed on the planet Kesh unknown for millennia) have all the traits of the Sith, but at the same time give them less of a caustic edge that the One Sith (1 Master & 1 Apprentice) always had. They use anger, hatred, fear ect. But it almost comes across as more yin-yang with the light side aspects. It’s hard to explain, and I suppose therein Golden has done her job swimmingly! Basically, instead of having the same tired “become anger, kill your master” Sith we have seen so far in the SW EU, we get a more controlled “use your anger and hate, they are strengths and will help you wield the force well to rule the galaxy”. It’s kind of a new way of looking at it, and certainly being able to watch it through Vestara’s eyes helps the reader get into it. Imagine a world where you trained as a legendary Sith (like a Jedi is trained), but no one ever really came out and said that the training you were undergoing was “evil or dark”....wouldn’t you think your way was right without being some seething monster like Palpatine, Vader or Cadeus?

So yeah, like I said Golden proves herself from the very get-go here. The best thing so far? She is following the plot threads that began in the Allston’s book well, and the book really does feel like a straight continuation of the story. That was something that LEGACY never had due to Traviss’s deviations. It makes the series much more enjoyable and connected.  It flows as it should.

Is it perfect? No. There are portions that feel like a bit like trodden ground as more Jedi succumb to the strange plague. While they always do so in different ways and it is very “all of the sudden”, at the same time the result is the same as it was in OUTCAST, the Jedi’s from the Temple try to get the sick Jedi first, and either they do or Chief Of State Daala and the Galactic Alliance do and there is arguments about where they should be kept and studied. It’s all kind of been there, done that. It’s not tedious mind you, just a bit repetitive and made for a boring chapter or two.

That said, I really, really enjoyed it, and I think Christie Golden was a splendid choice for the role of third author this time out. She has skills and she uses them. She is quite the storyteller and i applaud this outing. I enjoy her so much that I am tempted to read her Warcraft books as they seem like fun.

So, book 2 down and it was another good one. Next up in this series will be FATE OF THE JEDI: ABYSS by Troy Denning and I really am looking forward to seeing where this series takes me. So far, so good.

Doctor Who: Christmas Special 2010 Teaser!!

I held off about posting DOCTOR WHO stuff since the last season was done when we started this blog, and the new season isn't till spring...but there is always the Christmas special!! YAY!!

This one looks to be the most Christmas-y of the specials yet! Love how it looks, love the music, love Michael Gambon...and most of all...love The Doctor!

Consider me UBER-excited!

Enjoy folks!

Book Review: Star Wars Fate Of The Jedi: Outcast by Aaron Allston

THE NEXT CHAPTER IN THE EXTRAORDINARY HISTORY OF THE STAR WARS GALAXY BEGINS HERE. . . .

After a violent civil war and the devastation wrought by the now-fallen Darth Caedus, the Galactic Alliance is in crisis–and in need. From all corners, politicians, power brokers, and military leaders converge on Coruscant for a crucial summit to restore order, negotiate differences, and determine the future of their unified worlds. But even more critical, and far more uncertain, is the future of the Jedi.

In a shocking move, Chief of State Natasi Daala orders the arrest of Luke Skywalker for failing to prevent Jacen Solo’s turn to the dark side and his subsequent reign of terror as a Sith Lord. But it’s only the first blow in an anti-Jedi backlash fueled by a hostile government and suspicious public. When Jedi Knight Valin Horn, scion of a politically influential family, suffers a mysterious psychotic break and becomes a dangerous fugitive, the Jedi become the target of a media-driven witch hunt. Facing conviction on the damning charges, Luke must strike a bargain with the calculating Daala: his freedom in exchange for his exile from Coruscant and from the Jedi Order.

Though forbidden to intervene in Jedi affairs, Luke is determined to keep history from being repeated. With his son, Ben, at his side, Luke sets out to unravel the shocking truth behind Jacen Solo’s corruption and downfall. But the secrets he uncovers among the enigmatic Force mystics of the distant world Dorin may bring his quest–and life as he knows it–to a sudden end. And all the while, another Jedi Knight, consumed by the same madness as Valin Horn, is headed for Coruscant on a fearsome mission that could doom the Jedi Order . . . and devastate the entire galaxy.

I’ll be honest. Like most guys my age, I grew up on Star Wars. It’s always the most prevalent, nostalgic thing from my youth that I still remember with any vivid detail, aside from after school cartoons (Transformers, G.I. Joe, Thundercats ect.).  Whether anyone wants to admit it, the original trilogy is a generation-shaper, and if what I can glean from a few of the young kids who have grown up around the prequels is any indication, the new films stand to be that as well.

So it should come as no real surprise that I have read a number of the Star Wars EU (Expanded Universe) books and comics over the last few years. 

There have been many books in the EU over the years that take place after Return Of The Jedi. Some are good (Timothy Zahn’s THRAWN TRILOGY, THE COURTSHIP OF PRINCESS LEIA), some are absolutely brilliant (Mike Stackpole’s I, JEDI, BETRAYAL & EXILE by Aaron Allston, TEMPEST by Troy Denning) and some downright awful (THE JEDI ACADEMY SERIES, NEW REPUBLIC), but I think the powers that be over at the Skywalker Ranch have found out a neat little trick. Decide on a long arcing plot, nine books worth, and then assemble 3 authors to tell that story together. The LEGACY OF THE FORCE series that really did that first (the NEW JEDI ORDER series that precedes it had 16 different authors!). What makes this such a good idea is that there is less deviation from the subject matter with only three authors, as well the books can come out three at a time, thus getting the whole series out is only months in the making and not years.

LEGACY has its point and it succeeds in a lot of ways, but one of the authors, Karen Traviss, was pursuing her own agenda in her three volumes. She spent her time fleshing out an aging Boba Fett instead of the main plotline with the Jedi, and this makes that main plot thread suffocate during her books. So a series that was nine books could have easily been six and the yoke on Traviss should have been tighter as it seems she wasn’t working as a team with Allston and Denning. Still, Jacen’s story was worthy of telling and the LEGACY books are a pretty good read. It’s also kind of imperative to know what happened in those ones to know what is going on in this new FATE OF THE JEDI series as it deals with the direct aftermath of the LEGACY.

Sorry for the longer than normal preamble, but I wanted to give a little background before I go ahead and start reviewing these new books. Partially because they swapped out Traviss for the very good Christie Golden, so I am hoping that the new FATE series will fix LEGACY’s failures.

OUTCAST by Aaron Allston, the first entry in the aforementioned FATE OF THE JEDI series is a rollicking adventure and an easy to read book. His skill is always present in these books. He can tell a story that will satisfy even the most demanding Star Wars fan, while blazing new territory in the SW galaxy. This one concerns the direct aftermath of Jacen Solo’s fall to the Dark Side that was the story arc in LEGACY. A few Jedi are getting some sort of plague that makes them believe that those around them, friends and family, are not who they are. That they are in fact fakes, really clever copies or the real deal. Jedi Master Corran Horn’s (the hero from Mike Stackpole’s I, JEDI) son, Jedi Knight Valin Horn is the second to succumb and goes on a rampage to escape these “fake versions” of his family and friends. The Galactic Alliance government on Coruscant (now run by previous Imperial supporter Natasi Daala) starts a witch hunt, claiming the Jedi are too powerful to be left to their own devices. She uses Jacen Solo’s recent fall to the dark side and this new plague as evidence that the Jedi cannot be allowed to function as they have up till now. Grand Master Luke Skywalker chooses his own exile to give the rest of the Order a chance to survive this political upheaval, and Daala agrees. He is to stay away for ten years, only to return early if he can find a cure for this new plague, and a reason for Jacen's fall to darkness.

There are three plot threads here: Luke and his son Ben venture out of the system following Jacen’s trail when he went wandering studying the Force. Then there is the political situation on Coruscant between those left in the Jedi Temple (Masters and Knights alike) and Daala and her GA government Jedi persecution. Lastly, the third one is Han, Leia, and Lando attempting to find the source of groundquakes on the small planet Kessel.

Allston deftly moves between the three threads and gives you just enough in each situation to keep you reading. The pace is blisteringly fast (I read this first one in about a day and a half) and all three threads are interesting, fun, action-packed and all drive the larger plot forward. Now, this being the first book in a nine book series the whispers of the overarcing plot thread are still just that, but you can sense them there, which is nice.

What is great about books that have come out AFTER the release of all three prequel films is that the authors have MUCH, much more of a universe to tie into their stories than they previously had. So little things from prequel characters, species or places get nicely woven into these new books. Like the Kel Dor are a big one in this book (Jedi Master Plo Koon, a Jedi Master who died in the Order 66 Purge was a Kel Dor). The Jedi Archives are another, as is having Coruscant have visual representation, not to mention the Jedi Temple (the original council chamber is once again used by the Master’s of the Jedi Order). There is actually a little conversation where Threepio always says “thank the maker” when he is relieved, and Jaina Solo asks him who the “maker” was. We know it was Anakin, but Thrrepio doesn’t (had his memory wiped at the end of ROTS)…and Allston adds this in to give us a bit of nostalgia without being blatant. That’s skill in my eyes. These are little things mind you, but they have made the last bunch of books in this EU so much more enjoyable for me.

A great first entry into the series, OUTCAST has all the starfighter-flying, lightsaber-wielding, droid-chirping fun that makes this universe so enthralling, while at the same time starts to tell us a new story, long ago in a galaxy far, far away. Full marks.

Note: I am about 80 pages into the second book Christie Golden’s FATE OF THE JEDI: OMEN, and will likely have the review up for that in a day or two, so keep you eyes peeled.

Comic book reviews for the week of November 17th in six sentences (or less)

Once again its time for the GTA’s greatest (and shortest) comic book reviews.

Today’s reviews have been brought to you by the letter ‘E’ and the word Exposition. Because this week’s comics are just dripping with unnecessary and long winded backstory.

No best of the week I’m afraid. While I didn’t review any out and out stinkers this week I’m afraid nothing really stood out in a positive sense.

So without further ado lets get into the verbage.

Avengers #7
I know I said I wasn’t going to read this title anymore. Well I’m not made of stone people, get off my back. I admit, I was sufficiently intrigued by the thought of Rulk joining the Avengers to pick up this issue. There’s not much to this one. Brian Michael Bendis, should have just saved some time and sub-titled this story Exposition. Anyway, former depowered super-villain, The Hood, goes looking for the Infinity gems. He manages to find two of them before stumbling into Rulk. Unfortunately I’m not a Marvel guy so I know next to nothing about the Infinity gems. Only that they’re so dangerous that they’ve been split up to prevent any one person from wielding that much power.

Bendis pulls an old Geoff Johns trick to let you know just how bad ass the villain of the story is, by getting him to beat down on someone who’s already a pretty well established bad ass. JRJR makes some pretty-pretty pictures and in four weeks I’m going to have to ponder whether or not I have the strength to not buy issue #8. That’s the kind of dilemma you want to have.

Flash #6
I wonder how long it will take DC to renumber this title? Will they pick up Barry’s old numbering? Wally’s old numbering? Or just add everything together? It probably doesn’t say much for the review that I’m leading with a dilemma on numbering. Considering that all sorts of series from the Big Two have done this recently I really think its just a matter of time. Anyway, this issue wraps up the Dastardly Deaths of the Rouges plot. Future- Top is outed as a villain and Barry puts the beat down on him, saving Iris’s life in the process, naturally. Francis Manapul does some lovely art and Geoff John hints at future plot lines, including the Kubert drawn Flashpoint that we saw teased at the end of Rebirth.

Green Lantern #59
Someone at DC was earning their media cross promotion badge this week by making sure that this issue dropped at the same time the Green Lantern trailer was being released. My thoughts on the trailer? I was underwhelmed but cautiously optimistic. Right now I’m worried that tonally it seems akin to the IRON MAN franchise and I’d be much happier if GL staked out its own territory. But its much to early in the game to start worry about that stuff now.

In this ish Flash and Hal stand around and talk, a lot. Then the Indigo Tribe, with reformed serial killer the Black Hand in tow, show up and then there is slightly more talking. Thank God Doug Mahnke is such a gifted artist that’s he able to make even what is essentially 22 pages of talking heads look good. There was a new twist on the origins of the Indigo Tribe that I thought was very interesting. (I enjoy how Johns is rolling out the different limitations or powers of the various Corps. Its about more than making giant day-glo boxing gloves in a rainbow of colours.) Anyway its implied that the Tribe might be composed of murderers and villains who have had compassion bestowed upon them. And that without their rings they might just revert back to form. Just how far down the road is Johns planning his next mega event anyway?

For the casual fan I’m this issue suffered from a dearth of combat. But sometimes you’ve got to change the pace up a little and I think this story is meant to give the audience a bit of a breather.

Justice League of America #51
Is this what comics used to read like before CRISIS OF THE INFINITE EARTHS? A couple of momentum killing paragraphs inserted at the beginning of each issue to explain the science behind the Multiverse? I’m a reasonably proficient Multiverse individual and even I found my eyes glazing over at the pseudo-science explanation. In this issue the Crime Syndicate of Amerika has accidentally created Onslaught, sorry, the Omega Man in the hopes of returning Lex Luthor (and or Darkseid depending on who yer talking too) back to life. Things go awry, as things tend to do, and the end result is big bad meanie intent on killing everyone in sight. Just take a deep breath and enjoy Bags on the pencils wouldn’t you? There, doesn’t that feel better?

Superior #2
Well, we’re still stuck in exposition mode. A very slow burn, especially for Millar. He takes us through the paces, doing a standard kind of ‘getting to know what makes you and your powers tick plot.’ The Superman comparisons are still there. Only this time instead of having to rescue a failing airplane or space shuttle Millar decides to drop a whole space station from the heavens (rendered impressively by Leinil Yu). The casual swearing in the comic doesn’t bother me, mostly cause when I was the age of the kids in this comic I was using language a lot saltier than the F-bomb. Millar clearly knows that he’s limiting the number of potential buyers by making this an R-Rated comic, but he goes for it anyway. I always enjoy it when a writer or filmmaker goes for the throat and turns out an uncompromising product, regardless of what it means to the bottom line. It may not be a better product but at least they can’t be blamed for taking half measures.

Superman #705
Superman continues on his quest to moralize across America, one step at a time. This month the subject is abuse and why its bad; complete with Supes breaking the fourth wall and staring directly into the reader’s soul. It’s the same kind of preachy, over the top and slightly dull storytelling that has come to characterize this title under the pen of JMS. With JMS’s imminent departure it’ll be interesting to see if this title will continue to meander along the story wilderness or get a much needed shot of adrenaline to the arm. I think the last time Supes was this underexposed was the mid 90’s when he was officially dead. Remember when he used to hold down FIVE ongoing monthlies?

Confining Superman to a single title was never going to be a roaring success, especially given the subject matter the writer has chosen to write about.But, if I’m trying to put a positiver spin on things. At the very least I used to be able to look at it as a temporary time out, a chance to cleanse the palette and generate some demand to see more exposure for the character. But now that JMS has sworn off monthlies and can’t even be bothered to see the great experiment to a close, Grounded qualifies as an out and out failure. I’d like to say at least the art isn’t so bad, but even this issue is pencilled by two different people. So, hurray for inconsistency.

Film & Comics: Full Green Lantern Trailer drops!

Finally dropped today is the trailer for the upcoming Ryan Reynolds-starring GREEN LANTERN flick.

Like:

GL's constructs look cool and different from how I've ever seen them before.
Killowog (looks badass)
Sinestro
 Abin Sur
 OA in general
Hal when he's not being goofy
Yummy, yummy Blake Lively.

Dislike:
 That scene with Hal and his friend at the end being goofy about the suit.
The suit only looks kinda bad in that last shot, up till then it looks good to me.

Anyway, enjoy!

Leave some comments as to what you think.

Book Review: Nyphron Rising by Michael J. Sullivan

 A puppet is crowned. 

The true heir remains hidden. 

A rogue's secret could change everything.
 

War has come to Melengar. To save her realm, Princess Arista must reach the leader of the Nationalists and convince him to join forces. She turns to two trusted mercenaries to provide escort, but finds the team on the verge of dissolution.

Hadrian is tired of his lecherous profession and longs for a just cause. Royce knows a secret which could provide his partner a life’s purpose greater than anything his friend could imagine…but is it true? Or is an ancient wizard using them as pawns in his own struggle for power? To unravel the truth Royce convinces Hadrian to join him for one last mission—what they discover could change the future for all of Elan.

And he does it again!

Michael J. Sullivan’s third Ryria Revelations book NYPHRON RISING (AKA Let’s kick the awesomeness into high gear) is another cracker from the author.

I’m sure if someone told Sullivan that in only a few years time his “little indie series that could” would start to top reviewers lists for their favourite books of each year he might have thought otherwise, as the guy is not only pretty humble, but one of the nicest authors I have ever been in touch with. That said, this series is REALLY beginning to soar and with five books already released and the sixth and final volume set to drop early in 2011, this author will have released a fantasy series that will not only sit on my shelf next to faves like the Harry Potter books, and The Dresden Files, but will be pulled out and re-read whenever I feel like setting off on the adventure again.

Book three begins not long after AVEMPARTHA (book 2, see my review here). Master thieves and Royal Protectors Royce Melborn and Hadrian Blackwater, have been enjoying a little time off from what they do best (long enough that Hadrian begins to question his role in the pair and thinking perhaps it’s time to hang up his three swords), Royce wants him to stay for one last job at least, there is a puppet on the Imperial Nyphron throne in the form of a mute and destroyed Thrace who can’t even be convinced to eat. There is an Imperial army massing on Melangar’s southern borders and King Alric has plans to unite with rebel nationalist leader Degan Gaunt, though he forbids his sister princess Arista to go as Ambassador, she has other plans, which may include a couple of thieves.

This one, as I said above is a full-on worldbuilder. If you can imagine the first book was prologue, the second the opening salvo, this third is the beginning of the war proper. The villains get more villanous (and add to their ranks) as Bishop Saldur and Luis Guy plot their machinations. The heroes also get more numerous (Princess Arista’s professor of her Art of magic from Sheridan Arcadius enters the fray) and start to assemble a few outer arms that will be needed for the final fight.

This book belongs to three plot arms and all three are equally riveting! The shades of Hadrian’s past and what the medallion around his neck means that were teased at the end of the last book come to some fruition here. The network of people that Royce used to work for, called Black Diamond, become more than the glimpsed menace they were in the previous book and the more they are fleshed out, the more gray each member gets. The third plot arm is that of Modina (AKA Thrace, puppet Empress) and her lady in waiting, an upraised scullery maid by the name of Amilia. Amilia & Modina’s plotline was the one that could have been the most tedious in any other book, but here Sullivan is once again a deft hand. This is actually one of the most refreshingly simple and endearing threads of the book. Amilia is perfect in her role and as she tries to help Modina and get her to come out of the shell she has built around herself, you can really FEEL that. Sullivan’s skill with emotions is impressive to say the least. That also brings us to Hadrian’s plotline about his past, which mostly concerns his relationship with his father and his reasons for leaving to join the military at age 17. His feelings throughout those pages is palpable and true. It’s funny, after three books I feel I can say, “Yep, that’s how Hadrian would react to that, and that’s how Royce would handle that”. Thus proving to me that Sulivan didn’t create these characters on a whim. They have depth, and emotions and he doesn’t sacrifice those for any tricks.

One of my favourite things in this book is how Sullivan shrewdly has Royce and Hadrian put princess Arista through a similar set of situations that they did with her brother Alric. Riding a less-than-evenly tempered horse till she’s saddle sore and weary, having her sleep under the stars with leaves for a pillow, eating what’s available, and consorting with lower-statured people, these are the types of things that I am convinced the two thieves do on purpose. She is a good princess and a fair judge of people, but she isn’t yet a ruler. She hasn’t yet reached greatness, but with these two I am sure she will. This bit of the plot is subtle and simple, and it was a nice little side story, that helps us really get into Arista’s character.

The author also manages to put in a coded, historical mystery that drives the latter half of the book and is as mind-blowing in its execution as any thriller that is on the shelves today. It is at once mystifying, and rocketship-paced, all the while maintaining the heart that is at the center of these characters and their storied pasts. He even manages to open up new mysteries within the ones he solves. I was a bit wowed to say the least.

NYPHRON RISING is a meatier addition to the series, but one that does not disappoint at all. In fact, Sullivan ramps up all his long-arc plot threads, gives us more small wavering glimpses at the future, and tells us another rip-roaring yarn worthy of even the best fireside storyteller. A Triumph!

FYI: The final line is once again a cliffhanger that will leave you absolutely breathless with anticipation for the next book. Thankfully, I have a signed copy of the 4th one (THE EMERALD STORM) ready to go!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. If you haven’t been reading Michael J. Sullivan’s Ryria Revelations series, you are missing out. Go grab them today here and set out on a voyage of adventure and intrigue.

Ongoing: WOT First reads: A CROWN OF SWORDS

Seven books in and I am still not bored.

In fact, Robert Jordan’s A CROWN OF SWORDS was a nice character builder. Does a lot happen? That depends on your POV really. If you arte talking about moving people and the large cast of characters forward by adding depth and experience to them...then yes. If you refer to action sequences and badassery...then not really. That’s not to say there is no action, there is...but it is mostly backburner-ed for the character builds. Does that make it boring? Not at all! In fact, for me it made for a nice volume of watching character start to take themselves in directions far removed from the ones they set out on six books before. Rand continues his downward spiral into “I am the king, bow down to me...oh and I love three different women” arc. I can see Jordan plans to make us really dislike Rand and part of me feels that the Lews Therin aspect of him is the reason for that. I feel redemption down the road that Jordan feels he needs to take Rand down a few pegs first by making him behave like an ass, but who knows. Perrin continues to brood about his involvement in the proceedings and second-guess himself at every opportunity, leaving himself open to his wife Faile’s  fish-wifery and inexplicable nastyness. The Aiel seemed mixed up to me in this book. They continue to splinter into factions, one of which begins to interact, stupidly with Forsaken...though they don’t know it. Egwene takes a HUGE leap forward in this book becoming FAR less annoying, taking far more control and really feeling like the Amyrlin Seat she should be, and that was nice to see. Elayne and Aviendha have a few choice moments as well, growing as characters, less so Aviendha though. In the white tower Elaida completely baffles me with stupidity. She has to be one of the dumbest characters in the series, with NO idea what is going on, but it let’s her be led around by the nose by the Black Ajah which makes her scenes fun for that reason. So, everyone grows and builds, but the shining stars here are Mat Cauthon and Nynaeve Al’Meara. Mat’s plotline with his attempt to avoid Queen Tylin treating him the way he has always treated his women is both hilarious and telling. It teaches Mat a kind of lesson, but he pulls through it all in true Mat style and comes out on the other end with a crooked smile and a laugh. 

Nynaeve......Nynaeve, Nynaeve, Nynaeve....oh you are my shining star. This book really is made by her plotline. She changes SO much in this book and goes from a character who I found annoying in the first few books, to one that I think has the potential to join Moiraine and Mat as a complete utter favourite of the series, hands down. Her journey takes her through accepting that she sometimes has to realize her mistakes, apologize and even accept help from men like Mat and Lan. It’s still begrudging, but there’s a twinkle there of her finally coming to terms with the part of growing up that means leaving Emonds Field behind and with it the ways she used to behave. Two things contribute to this transformation. The first is her scene depicted on the above eBook cover when she nearly drowns and isn’t mad enough to use saidar, so she resigns herself to the fact that she is going to die...and all of the sudden her block is gone and she can use the one power whenever she likes! That coupled with her rescue by Lan and her decision to not let him go this time and has the Sea folk marry them that night, make for a real 180 and she not only becomes tolerable, but cool in the process!

So, all in all I can only assume this book gets a bad rap as a few of these middle volumes have because folk had to wait for them. It seems to be the running theory that the fact I enjoyed this one as much as I did was because I didn’t have to wait years for it. Sufficed to say it was a blast and I enjoyed almost the entire thing. Yes, the ending feels a little rushed, but overall I can’t really complain much.

I have THE PATH OF DAGGERS on my bedside table and will likely be getting to it sometime next week.

Films: The first New Winnie The Pooh movie by Disney in 35 years!

Okay, sometime earlier this year (and this slipped me by) Disney announced they were doing a new big screen WINNIE THE POOH tale. Not only that, but they said that it was not going to be fancy CG, or 3D or even the newish clean-look animation of the last Pooh direct to VHS/DVD release, but a return to the look of the actual drawings in the original A.A. Milne books with that sketched look with watercolours...not to mention this adds to Disney's recent revelation that people REALLY enjoyed the old-school traditional 2D animation (like The Lion King, Little Mermaid ect.) and they decided to re-open that wing of their animation.

I also like Winnie The Pooh as much as I still do The Muppets and Peanuts. It's probably a nostalgia thing.

At any rate, the new film has a trailer that debuted today...and OH MY GOD the animation is GORGEOUS. I absolutely LOVE the look, but then I am a traditional 2D animation fan. I even don't mind the Keane track that plays over the trailer as it adds a bit of a modern weight. I actually can't wait, cause I love me some animated films and this one looks great!

Find some details over here.

Upcoming: River Marked (Mercy Thompson #6) Cover

That's um....pretty damn hot.

I'm no stranger to Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson series (though I've not yet read book 5 SILVER BORNE) and I think that Dan Dos Santos does an absolutely STUNNING job on the covers, and this one is certainly no slouch. This may be my favourite now....yup...methinks so.

If you haven't yet checked out the series, you ought to do so as it's pretty fun, if not darker than I thought it would be. Good times had by all. The first book is MOON CALLED in case you wonder.

News: Towers Of Midnight debuts at #1 on NYT Bestseller list!

Impressive. The 13th book in the Wheel of Time series, written by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson takes a bow at the top spot from the get-go!

Just brilliant! Congratulations for Brandon and Harriet McDougall (Jordan's widow), and to TOR as well.

Great news!

Comic book reviews for the week of November 10th in six sentences (or less)

Best of the week

Ultimate Comics Thor #2

Presenting the continuing adventures of Ulti-Thor. Writer Jonathan Hickman takes us bouncing through time as Nazi Frost Giants threaten to invade Asgard in WWII, Thor and his pappy talk about the nature of divinity and a full blown identity crisis in the European Super-Soldier program as they try to make heads or tails of their godlike newest recruit. This is a ripping good yarn. Hickman is able to take a relatively minor subplot from the ULTIMATES 2 miniseries and use it successfully as a framing device for this title. He writes fully fledged characters, with strong motivations and enough mystery and intrigue to make reading this title. And all backed by Carlos Pacheco’s pretty pictures. God, some days I love comics. But what impressed me most of all was that Hickman was able to use the established continuity of the character and grow the world; without having to resort to some of the worn out plot devices some authors use when mucking around in someone’s backstory. Its nice to see continuity used for something besides a punching bag for unhappy writers.

Batman: Return of Bruce Wayne #6

So I read this issue. Then I read it again. Then just before I wrote this review I read it a third time and mucked around online to see what everyone else ways saying about it. Wow. Grant Morrison has capped off years of laying the groundwork for this story to deliver an absolutely epic tale. Picking up on events established in ROBW #2 Bruce flees from the death of time and space to return to the present. With him is the hyper-adapter set upon him by Darkseid during FINAL CRISIS. His only hope of surviving it is the help of some friends who’ve made an impressive career of pounding on baddies. This whole story is so dense and compact that repeat readings of it are a definite must for anyone interested in working out just how all the puzzle pieces fit together. The only drawback I have with this particular issue is that Morrison’s writing lacks the emotional resonance necessary to really drive the whole thing home. Grant’s biggest strength is that he is the smartest guy in the room. (Which means that he routinely deals with ideas and concepts that leaves the rest of us mere mortals scratching our grey matter in confusion.) Unfortunately Morrison often forgets the human component that transcends his weighty cerebral ponderings and makes reading these tales truly enjoyable; instead of rendering them a giant intellectual puzzle that needs to be solved before it can be enjoyed.

Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #4

It never ceases to amaze me that the GL franchise is vibrant enough to pull off three ongoing titles. Four, if you feel inclined to include BRIGHTEST DAY (and I kinda do). Guy and company continue on their mission to discover the source of their power rings’ energy loss. They make a pit stop at Daxam in search of Sodam Yat only to discover that he is a wanted criminal and nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, Yat has flown off planet with a group of Daxam dissidents to create a new utopian social order. He seems to be nursing some sort of grudge against the Guardians. Whether this refers to the GL Guardians or some political faction on Daxam I’m not really sure. There can’t be TWO groups of GL supporting characters called Guardians, can there? Anyway, Peter J. Tomasi keeps the story humming and Fernando Pasarin continues to kill with his art. This title is rapidly threatening to displace GREEN LANTERN CORPS as my backup GL book of choice.

Knight and Squire #2

Yep, this title happened again. It’s still full of smart, witty British goodness. And it still leaves me feeling kind of meh. Which is odd, because I really want to like this series. Mayhap I’m just suffering from PHANTOM MENACE syndrome and I unfairly raised my expectations to a level that the book just isn’t able to deliver on. Anyway in this issue Knight and Squire take on a band of trans-dimensional folk figures, known as the Morris Men, who seek to return England to the good old days. The type of good old days where women were arm candy and men made all the decisions. It’s a mildly amusing story, but so far I’m not seeing any evidence of an overarching plot arc that is going to be woven throughout the miniseries and I’m not enjoying it enough to read six standalone tales about K&S. Oh, and there’s also a really ugly art error on the second page that caught my attention right from the get go. It looks like the page was printed at a low resolution because the whole thing is washed out and pixelated. Blah.

Not reviewed this week

Hellblazer: City of Demons #3

My LCS always criminally underorders all HELLBLAZER titles. If you're a John Constantine fan and you don't make it to the shop by lunch time on Wednesday you, my friend, are shit outta luck. Today, that person was me. Which is a shame, considering that issue two of this title made BEST OF THE WEEK here at Icy Ink and I was really looking forward to where the series was going.

In The Pipe: Scott's To-Read List November

The order of this list may change, but for the time being, this will be the order for the next while. This means you can expect reviews to come for each volume.

THE PATH OF DAGGERS by Robert Jordan

I continue my Wheel Of Time First-Reads category with the 8^th volume. I am coincidentally currently reading the 7^th book A CROWN OF SWORDS, and the review/thoughts for that should hopefully be up before the week is out. The plan is to get through the next 4 Jordan written volumes, so that I can throw the two Brandon Sanderson co-penned books THE GATHERING STORM and TOWERS OF MIDNIGHT upon my Christmas wishlist. That’s the plan right now at any rate. We’ll see.

THE GHOST BRIGADES by John Scalzi

I plowed through Scalzi’s debut OLD MAN’S WAR in about a day and a half. It was one of the most fun and interesting sci-fi books I’ve read. My sci-fi shelf is small compared to my fantasy shelf. Chris is the sci-fi buff, and I’m the fantasy buff. But I still like to step into the space opera waters now and again. The second volume in the OLD MAN’S WAR series sounds to be another ripping adventure.

 

NYPHRON RISING and THE EMERALD STORM by Michael J. Sullivan

The 3^rd and 4^th volume in this fantastic new series by new author Sullivan are awaiting me on my shelf and I want to read them together so that I can hold out on the 5^th book WINTERTIDE (which I also have) until Christmas, cause that seems like the optimum time to read a book about…well Wintertide. Sufficed to say I love this series and I look forward to the next few books.  The plan is to have the 5^th one done before years end so that I can petition Michael and his publisher to hook me up with an ARC of the final 6^th book PERCEPLIQUIS. We shall see.

SIDE JOBS by Jim Butcher

I’m a self-confessed, unabashed Dresden-ite. The forces, which are holding me at bay from reading this short fiction anthology of Dresden stories (most of which I’ve not read) are great. I want to read this like you wouldn’t believe and get my Dresden-crack fix. But I am putting it off so that I don’t have to wait as long between reading it and the next full Dresden book GHOST STORY bowing next April. Can’t wait!

WINTER’S HEART by Robert Jordan

See the first entry, but this will also belong in my Wheel Of Time First-Reads category of reviews/thoughts in my mission to get caught up with all the other WOT fans. More Nynaeve and Mat can’t be a bad thing. Man I have grown attached to these characters!

That’s it for now. This list will likely see me into mid-November at which point I’ll take stock and see where I am at and what else will be on the schedule for December.

Book Review: Old Man's War by John Scalzi

John Perry did two things on his seventy-fifth birthday. First he visited his wife’s grave. Then he joined the army. The good news for humanity is that there we have finally made it into interstellar space. The bad new is that there are few planets out there fit to live on - and plenty of alien races willing to compete for them. Therefore we must fight: to defend Earth itself, and to stake or claim to planetary living space. Far from Earth this conflict has been going on for decades, brutal, bloody and unyielding.

Earth itself is now a backwater, with the bulk of humanity’s resources in the hands of Colonial Defense Forces. But you cannot join the CDF until you reach retirement age because they don’t want young people; only those with the knowledge and skills amassed during decades of living. Once you join CDF, you’ll be take off Earth and never allowed to return. First come two years at the front and, if you survive, you’ll be given a generous homestead stake of your own on one of those hard-won colony planets.

When John Perry agrees to this deal, he has only the vaguest idea of what to expect. Because, light years from home, the actual fight he faces is far harder than he could imagine...and what he himself will become is far stranger still.

John Scalzi was a name I heard batted around the message boards and blogs I frequent as a new name in sci-fi, but one that people really seemed to get behind. His debut novel OLD MAN’S WAR introduces us to a humanity that takes old people, for their life experience (not to mention their fear of death) and recruits them into the Colonial Defense Forces (or CDF) to fight for humankinds planetary colonies.

A fairly simple premise, but one that helps to bring some very key questions about the nature of us as a society into the fray. Aliens are willing to fight tooth and nail it would seem for the same bits of rock and space, and regular humanity just ain’t up to the task. Enter the CDF and their process of transferring the human consciousness from the old bodies into new (green) super-enhanced ones that are harder to kill or maim. Thus making a military of super-humans who have bounds of life knowledge, but the looks, strength, stamina and agility of a super-commando.

Colour me interested.

The main character of the tale is John Perry. A writer who buried his wife days earlier and joins up with the CDF as his life no longer has any real ties on earth. In his new body aboard the CDF ship that orbits the planet Phoenix (the CDF’s main outpost) he meets a number of other post-old timers who he befriends in the training process. After many tests and trials of the basic training process, each is assigned to different ships and platoons. Perry himself impresses the lead commander so much that he is put in charge of the platoon.

I don’t want to spoil too much plot. Sufficed to say Scalzi adds into the mix cool tech (brain incorporated smart computers that a soldier can use and talk to called BrainPal’s, which Perry nicknames Asshole), interesting Aliens (Smart and religious Consu, and the one inch high Whadians are equally fun to read about!), and some decent physics infodumps (FTL travel is by Skip Drive creating modified universes) that never FEEL like infodumps. The characters, being old folk, always manage to analyze everything that happens with wizened eyes, and this makes for very well thought out discussions and dilemmas that never feel overwrought or tacked on.

This is an easy read, but one that never failed to thrill me. It takes about 30 or 40 pages to really get going, but when it does the pace rockets away and drags you along with it. I raced to the ending and was so impressed I went out and bought the sequel. I’ve heard that Scalzi is compared to Heinlein by folk who have read both authors, but I haven’t so I can’t make any comparisons. That said, when it comes to sci-fi I am very, VERY picky and I know what I like, and I loved OLD MAN’S WAR.            A riotous blend of sci-fi and adventure with a rip-roaring story that will transport you to the other side of the stars with your humanity intact.